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I use a nickname because I never really thought about it when I started posting "here" (the old USCTA BB) and never saw any reason to change. But I'm sort of glad of it because I'm not entirely sure I want my COTHy ranting and raving to pop right up front and center if someone were to Google me.

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Yes I created an alter for this thread. I'm not new to this forum, I know how things go and this is an inflammatory subject. It's a small world and no I didn't feel like revealing myself. If that diminishes my credibility then so be it. My questions are valid regardless of my motivation or identity. Trust me conspiracy theorists....I'm nobody exciting.

Yes, my questions were directed at Reed. Should Reed like it or not his opinions are much sought after here. I did not intend it to be an attack, I have zero issues personally with Reed. I felt it fair to clear a few things up. Again, if that ruins my credibility and diminishes the validity of my questions for some I can't help that.

I really can't understand this conversation though. Why does it not exist in relation to "proven" safety equipment? I think a huge disparity exists there. Some safety vests provide little to no protection, some seem substantial and worth wearing, some are certified, some are not. We discuss the differences and people do the amount of research that they are comfortable with and make a decision. We don't demand test data, nobody produces it. It may exist, I don't know. The manufacturers make claims of "reducing injury". Somehow we can live with this and it doesn't inspire the uproar that occurs when someone wants to have the same conversation about an air vest. I know, I know, but air vests may exacerbate injury right? I guess I'm just not convinced of that.

The point of my assertion Reed was to clear up where you stand on "proven" safety equipment. I think it is a fair question. Many in my local hunt still wear hunt caps. I'm less interested in their take on my wearing of an air vest. Perhaps my logic is faulty as you imply but I place more value on someone's opinion when they practice what they preach. Makes me feel better about their motivation I suppose.

So let me get this straight. All we really have to go on is anecdotal evidence. Medical reports and doctors opinions are worthless. The testing we have now is of no value. The air vest companies are not making claims beyond "reducing injury" (despite what some have said on here....I'm now glad I asked).

Right back to it being a personal decision. If I only read this forum and perhaps did not read it thoroughly I might get a different idea.

I will continue to wear mine. I will still encourage those that I care about to wear one. I hope that those that can contribute toward the improvement of how we collect data and test will actually contribute. By now we all know what the complaints are so it would be nice to see something constructive done....not just talked about.

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The manufacturers make claims of "reducing injury". Somehow we can live with this and it doesn't inspire the uproar that occurs when someone wants to have the same conversation about an air vest. I know, I know, but air vests may exacerbate injury right? I guess I'm just not convinced of that.

First, remember the HISTORY of companies such as P2. They were found GUILTY of false claims as to what their vest could do in Europe. They made excessive assertions as to the efficacy (e.g. lives saved etc.) of their product when the fact was, they only tested it on a CHILD. At the same time there was no proof as to their life saving capabilities. However, there was PROOF that some of the riders they claimed walked away with no injuries actually had significant back fractures.

Thus the company had to completely backed off any claims other than "reduces injury" to protect themselves from liability. Other companies who produce standard vest never made such claims.

As for causing or exacerbating injury, it actually makes sense. They function in a completely different manner, are fail-dangerous (admitted to me directly when I challenged a manufacturer directly) in the sense that people can be locked to their horse (a couple of posters here have had that happen and I know of several around the US) or they can completely fail to even operate. Upon inflation they force the torso into a semi-rigid frame as those who have had them inflate can attest, resulting in different impact mechanics. Thus there is a whole new set of potential injury and dangers involved when wearing an air vest.

In the end, my concern with air vests is that people should recognize that they are actually incorporating a completely new and different risks to a fall. Even the USEF recognizes this aspect by requiring a standard vest be worn underneath and other sports prevent their use because they lock the person onto an unpredictable animal.

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I just want to step in and say, thank you, Reed, for providing such thorough information and continuing to explain it in such a gentlemanly way, despite the somewhat insulting posts pointed your direction.

I'd be a lot more convinced these companies, particularly Point Two, were concerned with rider safety if they (1) performed the evidence-based studies needed to address the questions many riders have about these vests and the damage they may do, (2) address the issues with vests that have failed to deploy, etc, and (3) make the vests more affordable for the everyday rider.

In my experience, most people I know who have gotten them (for eventing and combined driving) no longer use them and have sold them on. For me, it's a nonissue as I have a medical device implanted under my skin that would be compromised by the pressure the vest exerts.

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I just want to step in and say, thank you, Reed, for providing such thorough information and continuing to explain it in such a gentlemanly way, despite the somewhat insulting posts pointed your direction.

Thank you, however, Hoisttheflag, Ms. Baumgardner and others do ask valid questions and have valid perspectives on the topic. At the same time one can not expect to discuss anything, science or otherwise, where personal statements are not targeted at oneself. Hey, over on the medical forum I am Dr. Gas Bag for trying to point out a person's medical inaccuracies concerning oxalate crystal formation.

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Thank you, however, Hoisttheflag, Ms. Baumgardner and others do ask valid questions and have valid perspectives on the topic. At the same time one can not expect to discuss anything, science or otherwise, where personal statements are not targeted at oneself. Hey, over on the medical forum I am Dr. Gas Bag for trying to point out a person's medical inaccuracies concerning oxalate crystal formation.

Have you not shown them your "sun shining" photo , or were they just not impressed?

Because there's nothing quite like flying into another city for a 9 am meeting and being greeted by your client's new hire who shakes your hand and says, "I googled you - is that a picture of you riding your horse I found?"

If your name is Jennifer Johnson, you already live your life with a pseudonym - you could be one of thousands of people.

I don't mind the client knowing I ride horses, but maybe it's better if he gets to know me in context before he finds out how much time I worry about my horse's diet or the intricacy of footing or what color saddle pad to use.

Besides... y'all know more about me as poltroon anyway.

If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put that thing in your mouth, particularly if the thing is cats. - Lemony Snicket

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The air vest companies lost a lot of credibility with me when they promoted and accidents where people survived as "being saved by" their vest when close examination of the fall showed that the vest had not inflated before impact. Oliver Townend's Rolex fall was a notable example. No one is crowing about Charles Owen saving his life.

To me that shows a lack of honesty and integrity in the company... and it makes me less willing to give them the benefit of the doubt when there are questions.

This is a hard problem. We are fortunate to have someone with Reed's experience here - someone who does this kind of research for a living, paid for by deeper pockets than ours. The issue of unintended consequence is significant and it bothers me to see it glossed over.

I don't envy the role of a company trying to bring a new safety product like this one to market. No question that the pressures to make sales and the pressure to be sure you get it right are at odds, and that there hasn't been an obvious marketing path to get it right. Maybe something like Kickstarter, for the future, where you can be more honest with everyone about your ongoing R&D and concerns, and where maybe you're an investor in the company getting free product rather than a customer.

As for the EMT testimonials for air vests... rarely does an EMT view a fall, and in general, even an EMT who goes to a lot of events isn't going to get enough of a statistical picture. We've had fewer fatal accidents in eventing in general lately after some terrifyingly bad years - but that's not air vests making a difference.

And like delta, I've heard some pretty interesting alleged claims from alleged doctors and EMTs... including a young lady swearing that the doctor told her that it was lucky she hadn't been wearing a helmet when she broke her neck, because a helmet would have made her injury worse. Uh huh. That's nice. Go put your helmet on anyway.

I would really like to see these products work out and succeed. I don't want to be catastrophically hurt in a fall, and I plan to be riding well into my dotage, when my bones are brittle and less protected by fat and muscle. As I see it, that's not going to happen unless the companies keep investigating and keep innovating. That means they have to work out and fund some better tests and ask themselves more hard questions.

If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put that thing in your mouth, particularly if the thing is cats. - Lemony Snicket

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Unfortunately, extreme views from experts tend to carry a lot of weight. That is supported by solid empirical research dating back to the 1960s.

I think that Hoisttheflag has at least provided a balance to these discussions.

As for personal attacks on this forum? I have seen personal attacks and been the subject of personal attacks already here, and as part of the air vest discussion. Those who wear masks are much more likely to engage in aggressive behavior. That also is supported by solid empirical research dating back to the 1960s.

Perhaps there is an unwritten rule that one does not insult a member who has been part of the dominant culture for a lengthy time.

Ducking

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I would really like to see these products work out and succeed. I don't want to be catastrophically hurt in a fall, and I plan to be riding well into my dotage, when my bones are brittle and less protected by fat and muscle. As I see it, that's not going to happen unless the companies keep investigating and keep innovating. That means they have to work out and fund some better tests and ask themselves more hard questions.

If the back-and-forth on this thread is seen as "personal attacks", OMG. This thread is TAME! I guess if Reed has claimed the "Dr Gas Bag" title on the other thread about crystals I'm left with "Dr A**hole".

Perhaps there is an unwritten rule that one does not insult a member who has been part of the dominant culture for a lengthy time

Disagreement is not a personal attack. Insults are in the eye of the insulted. An being here a long time is certainly NO defense--I get castigated on a very regular basis because I have opinions and express them freely, and often these opinions are directly opposite of strongly-held opinions of other people who also feel passionatley about whatever topic is at hand. Homeopathy, anyone? If I only ever expressed lukewarm sentiments I suppose I'd never get called an a**hole, idiot, closed-minded jerk, etc. etc. Pfft. Having and defending one's opinions when they are crossing the grain will yield you some flak. Opinions go BOTH ways on air vests, so flak flies in both directions. What's wrong with that? Ever seen a topic worth reading on whether or not horses should be fed and cared for regularly? Contentious topics are . . . contentious. Opinions have no feelings.

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Personal attacks don't bother me so much. But creating an alter to launch a personal attack is just a little too much cowardice for my taste.

We're eventers. We confront our fears and test our bravery on a regular basis. So why would an eventer need an alter to remind Reed that he needed a girlfriend to bully him into wearing a helmet?

The choice to wear a air jacket seems to fall under the category of belief systems. Like other belief systems, it lacks evidence but surrounds itself with positive images and influential self-talk like KOC and Oliver Townend claiming their air jackets saved their lives.

I think we deserve better in terms of serious assessments of their value. Perhaps these discussions wouldn't take on an emotional slant if we had more facts to focus on.

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Anything directly pertaining to injuries due to air vests? This is a lengthy list of publications, although I doubt that facial fractures have a lot to do with air vests... or maybe they do?

I wasn't being sarcastic. There are multiple studies, and I believe a meta-anaylsis, on the effects of extreme opinion on attitude change. I will send you references, if you insist, and send via PM. Suffice it to say that it is a robust effect that has been replicated across diverse settings (both in and outside of the lab).

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The air vest companies lost a lot of credibility with me when they promoted and accidents where people survived as "being saved by" their vest when close examination of the fall showed that the vest had not inflated before impact. Oliver Townend's Rolex fall was a notable example. No one is crowing about Charles Owen saving his life.

Wow. Just wow. I didn't know that. I wonder what would happen if I mention it at the barn tonight...

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Wow. Just wow. I didn't know that. I wonder what would happen if I mention it at the barn tonight...

nothing. I've hear claims from all over on the benefits of one product or another. These little companies (far smaller and less established than Charles Owen) should not be making claims that are unfounded, but that doesn't change the actual product. I'd hate to think that someone would forego using a safety device because they disapproved of advertising.

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But if they are making unfounded claims in place of . . . well, "founded" ones, that makes one wonder where the solid claims (based on something besides hyperbole and emotion) actually ARE?

There was a P2 rep who posted here briefly and passionately in defense of his (her?) product and PROMISED that there were a bunch of safety data from a study that were "imminent". This was, oh, about a year ago I'm guessing. The poster hasn't been seen or heard from since.